Gresham College

Gresham College stands in Barnard’s Inn Hall off Holborn in central London. Founded in 1597 by Sir Thomas Gresham, it began in his Bishopsgate mansion and moved through several London sites before settling in its own 19th-century building. The college does not teach students or award degrees but hosts more than 140 public lectures each year. Since 2001 every lecture has been recorded and placed online, creating an archive of over 2,000 talks. The Acting Provost is Professor Sarah Hart, and the college remains supported by the City of London Corporation and the Mercers’ Company. The college’s history is closely tied to the Royal Society, which held its earliest meetings here before moving to Crane Court in 1710. Christopher Wren lectured on astronomy in the 17th century, and Robert Hooke served as Professor of Geometry for nearly forty years. Today three newer chairs cover Commerce, Environment and Information Technology, each held for up to four years. The annual Sir Thomas Gresham Lecture brings prominent figures such as Professor Chris Whitty and Bernadine Evaristo to its platform. Over 54 million views on YouTube show how widely these talks are watched. Visitors find a quiet hall in Holborn where free lectures unfold on subjects from geometry to climate change. The original seven medieval-style professorships still guide the programme, though the topics have grown with time. Occasional seminars and conferences broaden the range of speakers and themes. The surroundings recall London’s scholarly past while looking toward its future.